Michael teehan



No. 609,635. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

' M. TEEHAN.

BEER UR ALE PIPE CLEANER.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1898.)

(No Model.)

I l/mmvr W7TER W. W B\%%/ ATTORNE TN: Noam; PETERS co, vno'roairma,WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MICHAEL TEEHAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BEER OR ALE PIPE CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 609,635, dated August23, 1898.

Application filed November 21, 1896. Serial No. 612,941. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MIOHAELTEEHAN, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

ments in Beer or Ale Pipe Cleaners, of which.

the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in beer and ale pipecleaners, and has for its objects, first, to insure the passage of theflushing charge through the pipes to be cleaned without appreciabledilution by the flushing-water employed to force it through the same;secondly, to enable a predetermined quantity of flushing liquid to beforced through the pipes, and, thirdly, to present the cleaner in acompact form for ready and easy attachment, so that the cleaning processcan be rapidly carried out.

In one form of apparatus employed for flushing beer and ale pipes areservoir of considerably larger area than that of the beer or ale pipeand that of the water-supply pipe is used. In such devices the waternaturally is forced into and through the body of the flushing charge andmixes therewith, leaving uncertain the actual strength of the solutionpassing through the pipes. In another form the water is passed through areservoir containing the granulated material, and therefore it isdifficult to predetermine the strength of the solution. To overcomethese difficulties, I form a reservoir for the flushing solution,preferably in coil form and having an area of cross-sectionsubstantially equal to that of the beer or ale pipe and opening with itsfull area to the flushing-water supply, said reservoir being providedwith suitable means for its attachment to the beer, ale, and waterpipes.

The nature of my said invention will best be understood when describedin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1represents a side elevation, on a reduced scale, of a cleanerconstructed accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showingthe cleaner placed in its operative position.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout both views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the reseservoir forthe flushing solution,'made' of tubing, preferably beer-pipe, woundsubstantially into a tapered helical coil. The discharge end 1 of thetubing is located at the upper end of the coil, and the inlet end 2 isextended upwardly from the bottom of the coil, through the inside of thecoil, and turned over to form a bend 6. The discharge end 1 of the coilis provided with a coupling end 3 for its attachment, by means of acoupling-union 4;, to the end of the rubber hose 5 usually placed inpermanent connection with the end of the beer or ale pipe 13. Thednletend 2 is provided with a coup ling 7 for the attachment of the usualcock 8, to which can be attached a flexible hose NV, placed inconnection with the hydrant or other source of supply for theflushing-water.

Asbefore stated, the coil has an area of cross-section equal to that ofthe beer or ale pipes, and consequently it has less area ofcross-section than the ordinary hydrant-pipe and opens with its fullarea to the flushingwater supply. If, therefore, the supply of water isturned on, the solution in the reservoir must necessarily be bodilyforced out of the same and through the beer or ale pipes without thewater appreciably intermixing therewith, and consequently said solutionretains its original strength.

To clean the pipes, the reservoir, which is constructed to hold about apint of flushing solution, is filled with the solution through theend 1. The construction herein described permits the coil to be filledWithout closing oil? a cook. The reservoir is then attached to thehose 5by means of the coupling 4 and to the water-supply hose Thehydrant-water is then turned on. It will be readily understood that thisoperation can be quickly carried out and that the complications usuallyinvolved in making the change are avoided.

It is of course to be understood that the res-' ervoir could be coiledinto a spiral or other suitable form, the object of coiling the samebeing merely to present-it in a more compact form.

While I have herein described the tubing from which the reservoir ismade as having substantially the same area of cross-section as the beeror ale pipes, it must of course be understood that it could be slightlylarger or smaller in area. It must also be understood that the area ofcross-section of the reservoirtubing could be somewhat larger or smallerthan the area of cross-section of the watersupply; but such area oftubing should not be large enough in any instance to permit in- Ytermixing of flushing solution and water.

What I claim as new is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a beer or alepipe cleaner made of tubing wound in coil form and having one end turnedupwardly from its top and its other end turned upwardly from its bottomand extended through the coil, combined with means for the attachment ofsaid coil, substantially as described.

2. A beer or ale pipe cleaner consisting of a coiled, tubular reservoirof substantially constant area of cross-section throughout, adapted toreceive and contain a flushing solution and provided with inlet anddischarge ends both located at the top of said reservoir and means forconnecting the inlet end of the reservoir substantially with its fullopening to the flushing-water supply, substantially as described.v

3. A beer or ale pipe cleaner made of tubin g wound in coil form andhaving an upwardly-turned discharge end, and an inlet end turnedupwardly from the bottom of the coil and extending through the same,combined with means for the attachment of said coil, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In an apparatus for cleaning beer or ale pipes, the combination of areservoir adapted to be filled with a flushing liquid; said reservoirbeing formed of a coiled pipe of substantially the diameter of the pipeto be cleaned and having both ends located above its top;

a flexible hose connected to a water-supply;

Witnesses:

EUGENIE A. PERSIDES, A. FABER DU FAUR, Jr.

